Francesca's Guide to the Oscars

It’s that time of year: the night where the Academy rewards the best films of the year… The Oscars!  It is one of my favourite award shows because although I think the Academy has clear biases, it shines light on incredible movies that I otherwise would have never seen.  Every year I have friends over and we have a few drinks and watch the awards, and every year I attempt (and fail) to watch all the films nominated for Best Picture.  This year I am proud to announce that I have seen all 9 movies in the category.  So without further adieu I give to you:

Francesca’s Guide to the Oscars!

Note that this article is based solely on my opinion and that I have no film education at all, my summaries may contain spoilers, etc, etc. Okay! Let’s jump right into it:

Best Picture Nominees:

Amour – I feel like the ongoing theme this year was what movie can depress audiences the most and Amour is certainly no different.  It tells the story of French couple Georges and Anne who are retired music teachers.  Within the first couple minutes of the movie Anne has a stroke and we learn from George’s dialogue that the ensuing surgery did not go well; Anne has lost all movement on her right side and can no longer walk.  Georges becomes her caretaker and the movie follows their struggle as Anne’s condition steadily worsens.  I’ll be honest I skipped ahead through most of the middle of the movie, because it just kept getting more and more sad without any real action.  The end was about as depressing as it gets.  All in all it was a very well done movie, but one of my least favourites.

Argo – Argo dramatically re-tells the story of a joint CIA-Canadian operation to rescue 6 Americans trapped in Iran, by giving them fake identities of a Canadian film crew.  Directed and starring Ben Affleck it is one of his best films (especially compared to the disappointment that was The Town).  The film did a good job creating tension as I literally held my breath in the final scene when they begin their escape.  Yet when all was said and done I did not give the film any other thought which speaks volumes about how it affected me.

Beasts of the Southern Wild – This was without a doubt my favourite movie of all the nominees.  It tells the story of a little girl, Hushpuppy, living with her father Wink, on a Southern island called the Bathtub.  Their community has been isolated from the rest of the civilized society by means of a giant wall.  Their people live an almost hedonistic lifestyle in which children are encouraged to drink and live independently from their parents.  Global warming begins creating issues in nature and Wink falls ill causing great turmoil.  I felt the story line was really original and I loved all the cute animals.  At times, I felt the movie was really preachy about the issue of climate change.

Django Unchained – As a huge Quentin Tarantino fan I could not wait to see this movie and in typical Tarantino fashion it did not disappoint: gratuitous amounts of violence and sex and plenty of cringe-worthy imagery.  The finished product really felt like 3 separate movies, the first sets up the initial comradery between Django and Schultz as they work as bounty hunters; the second part features the efforts to rescue Broomhilda from Candy Land; and the third part is Django’s return and revenge.  It falls into Quentin’s recent theme of the oppressed becoming the oppressor, but I didn't enjoy this movie as much as Inglorious Basterds and it fell short of my expectations.  I also still feel like the movie is totally set up for a sequel, the title, Django: Unchained, makes me think of the ensuring Django: Back for Revenge (?), featuring Django as he fights along side the Union in the soon to follow Civil War (I can dream can’t I?).  I thought that Leonardo DiCaprio gave an amazing acting performance, especially since Candy’s character is so different from his usual roles, but as usual Leo gets the Oscar snub.  Django was really humorous at times ie: the part when the newly formed KKK couldn’t get their masks to work?  I was in stitches and Samuel L Jackson as Stephen? Amazing! For a 3-hour movie the film flowed really well, there were no moments that I felt bored or antsy. 

Les Miserables – The film follows Valjean, a recently freed prisoner who is constantly running for authority Javert, in the process he meets Fontaine, adopts her child Cosette then some other things happen and everyone dies.  As much as I love musicals I just couldn’t get on board with this movie.  Maybe seeing the actors sing ALL of their dialogue annoyed me.  Also some of the actors were pretty bad singers, every time Russell Crowe opened his mouth to deliver a line I just couldn’t take him seriously.  I also felt that for a long movie there were a lot of characters yet none of them were developed.  For instance we know Valjean feels a certain duty to Fontaine and Cosette but the audience never witnesses that relationship develop.  We’re told of all these emotional connections and know they exist but never understand them for ourselves.  I liked the style of filming that showcased the character off side of the shot, I thought it created a lot of drama.  But holy crap was it ever long and drawn out!  I just kept asking myself, "Is this thing over yet?"  I thought that since it was adapted from the stage performance that they would get really creative with the settings but I found that all the backgrounds looked like sets so you still felt as if you were watching a play. 

Life of Pi – After the ship he is traveling in sinks Pi Patel finds himself aboard a raft with a Bengal tiger he lovingly names Richard Parker.  The two are forced to learn to live and cooperate with one another in order to survive.  I had to see this film in theatres because I wanted to get the full cinematic affect and it was probably the best 3D movie I have ever seen.  It was visually spectacular and the use of the different animals was incredible.  A very sad and heartwarming movie, but so well done.  I think it will do really well in a lot of categories but I don’t think it’s a contender to win Best Picture.

Lincoln – This Steven Spielberg directed biopic follows President Abraham Lincoln as he struggles to have the 13^th Amendment passed by the House of Representatives in order to abolish slavery and end the Civil War.  I liked that it focused more specifically on this addition of the Thirteenth Amendment, as I assumed the film would be more focused on Lincoln’s biography.  It was a good movie, quite captivating but extremely dialogue heavy.  Also, was anyone else disappointed that they sat through this entire movie and weren’t rewarded with seeing Lincoln getting his brains blown out?  Just us? Okay.

Silver Linings Playbook – Bradley Cooper is Pat, a recently released manic depressive who struggles to win back the affections of his estranged wife as he learns to get along with mother and father, Pat Sr. (De Niro), a neurotic bookie.  As much as I enjoyed this movie I would best describe it as a glorified Rom-Com.  Powerhouse performances from DeNiro, Cooper and Weaver, but it’s really Jennifer Lawrence that steals the show.  Tiffany is vulnerable yet strong and independent.  I like that it explored the issue of mental health, something that is becoming more and more acceptable to discuss, but in the end I just don’t think it’s deserving of the Oscar.

Zero Dark Thirty – Based on the recent killing of Osama Bin Laden, this film follows CIA agent Maya as she pours all her efforts into following a potential lead, eventually tracking down Bin Laden and avenging her fallen friends.  The movie takes a while to really get going, but the ending is well worth the wait.  I think with these types of movies that it’s important to be a little critical as we really don’t know what kind of dramatic liberties have been taken to make the storyline more interesting.  I found myself asking, how much of this "true story" is true?  At times there was a certain Us vs Them mentality that can be tricky, i.e. all Middle Eastern people are bad, all Americans are good.  At times it felt a little like a propaganda film.  I liked that Chastain plays such a strong female lead, but hated how Maya supposed to be this overworked, almost obsessed woman, yet Chastain always looked flawless with perfectly styled hair.

My verdict for Best Picture:  I would love to see Beasts of the Southern Wild take it home, but I don’t think that will be the case.  I am still unsure but I believe it will be between Lincoln and Zero Dark Thirty.  Both chronicle an important time in American history and in the past those types of movies seem to prevail.  In the end I think Zero Dark Thirty will take it home, just because this event is so recent and fresh in the American people’s minds.

Best Actor:

Bradley Cooper – Silver Linings Playbook

Daniel Day-Lewis – Lincoln
Hugh Jackman – Les Miserables

Joaquin Phoenix – The Master

Denzel Washington – Flight

From what I saw of Flight, I thought Denzel Washington did not give a moving or emotional portrayal at all.  Bradley Cooper was good, but not good enough to take home the Oscar.  Joaquin Phoenix was amazing in The Master, but I feel like he always plays the same sort of roles (the wildcard with a drug and alcohol problem).  In the end, it’s gotta be Daniel Day-Lewis, the king of method acting.  Come on, the guy stayed in character for over a year and had everyone on set refer to him ONLY as Mr. President.  He got Abe Lincoln’s persona nailed down and for these reasons he deserves the Oscar.

Best Actress:

Jessica Chastain – Zero Dark Thirty

Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook

Emmanuelle Riva – Amour

Quvenzhane Wallis – Beasts of the Southern Wild

Naomi Watts – The Impossible

This is a tough one… Emmanuelle Riva was good, but spent most of the movie staring off into space or lying in bed not speaking, so I’m not super impressed with that.  Jennifer Lawrence was so charming and sweet.  Naomi Watts gave a really powerful performance, but again, spent a lot of the movie in and out of consciousness.  Quvenzhane Wallis deserves all the Oscars based on cuteness alone (and she was amazing in the film, especially for such a young girl).  In the end it will likely go to Jessica Chastain because she was playing such a strong female lead based on a real person. 

Best Supporting Actor:

Alan Arkin – Argo

Robert De Niro – Silver Linings Playbook

Philip Seymour Hoffman – The Master

Tommy Lee Jones – Lincoln

Christoph Waltz – Django Unchained

Alan Arkin was his same usual self; his character felt a lot like his role in Little Miss Sunshine (for which he took home the Oscar).  Christoph Waltz is such a great actor but I don’t think he should win for this particular role.  Tommy Lee Jones had an interesting and complex role, but was his usual grumpy old man self for the entire film.  Robert De Niro is Hollywood royalty and is always so talented.  Philip Seymour Hoffman was amazing as a Lancaster Dodd (based loosely around L Ron Hubbard).  I think that Hoffman is very deserving of the Oscar, but in the end it will likely go to De Niro.

Best Supporting Actress:

Amy Adams – The Master

Sally Field – Lincoln

Anne Hathaway – Les Miserables

Helen Hunt – The Sessions

Jacki Weaver – Silver Linings Playbook

All really good performances from all these ladies (although I will admit I never actually saw The Sessions).  I really feel that even though she was only in the movie for about 3 minutes… that it should go to Anne Hathaway.  The look of absolute despair when they chop off her hair was amazing; she really showed her emotional turmoil in her facial expressions, featured in these really dramatic close ups.  And she’s a pretty darn good singer, so there is that as well.

That’s it, that’s all!  Who do you think will win tomorrow?

You can check out the rest of my Oscar Picks here

Quill on my hand

A couple weeks ago, I did the unthinkable: I tattooed my hand.  
This one was not like the rest of my growing collection of tattoos; it was not concealed on my ribs or back, nope this one is my most personal yet and right on in the open for everyone to see.  I digress...

It began when my dad went to visit our neighbours at Electric Umbrella, to add to his growing collection of tattoos, but returned with an appointment card with my name on it.  Initially I was excited, because I had been wanting a new one for years.  My boyfriend had come up with the concept of the quill on my hand, because he knew I was fond of writing and felt it would be meaningful.  I struggled with the idea for days as ink on the hand just screams un-hireable, and even in a day and age where tattoos are becoming more widely acceptable, the hand tattoo still is considered taboo.  I walked into that tattoo parlour reassuring myself that it was my life, my body and my choice.  After all, I had just been laid off from my job and didn't have any employer to answer to.  I repeated my mantra over and over again.  Days later, when the adrenaline rush was completely gone and as I stared at my hand my subconscious screamed "What have you done?!"  You see, it may be meaningful and oh so beautiful, but the truth is I haven't seriously written in over a decade.

***
Growing up, I was a fairly creative child.  I would create complex story lines for all my toys; each one belonged to an extended family and had a deep and emotional back story.  I always loved reading, so naturally I began to express myself through written word.  My Nana encouraged me to write; be it simple thoughts or ideas, she would always be there with a pen a notebook, insisting I put it into words.  After she passed away, anytime I recalled her faith in my skills, I couldn't help but feel that I had left her down.  

My 7th grade teacher was also an inspiration to me.  She declared my writing full of whit and character and she, being a published novelist herself, made me think maybe a writing career was possible.  She recommended me for English Honours in high school and sent me off with encouragement.  I made that leap from elementary to high school and began to lose my way.  My grades began slipping, so I was promptly removed from English Honours.  No longer did my teachers encourage, but hell, they didn't even care if we showed up to class.  I put in the minimal amount of effort and tried to keep my head down until graduation.  When it came time to enrol in University, my mom excitedly pointed out all the creative writing courses available to me.  I remember sitting in a circle in creative writing, each of my classmates holding a copy of my essay, one by one telling me every single thing that was wrong with it.  The professor called it critiquing, but by the time they were finished I felt there was nothing left to be proud of.  

I finished up my BA with a Major in English, but stuck to literature classes and fact based papers, free from any creative flair.  It wasn't until last year when I started an Administrative position with the provincial government that I was reminded of my love for the spoken word.  Colleagues began approaching me and asking that I read their professional papers and edit through an English perspective.  By the end of my contract I was looking for any excuse to edit or draft correspondence and realized that this is my path.  

I realized finally that I was doing a great disservice to my loved ones who believed in me, but more so I was doing a great disservice to myself by never giving myself a chance to succeed.  Yes there will always be someone with a negative comment, but that's life.  No great artist was ever truly appreciated in their time.

That is why I chose to start this blog, as a means to finally express myself again through written word.  
Because every time I look down at my tattoo I wonder how something can mean so much, yet nothing at all.  
Because every time I look down at my hand I am disappointed in myself for not pursuing something that I love.  
Because every time I look down, I am reminded of who I am and where I want to be...